Chiratala Ramayanam, Folk Theatre Form of Andhra Pradesh

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Chiratala Ramayanam is a medial form which contains both elements of dance and drama. It is originated from Chiratala Bhajana, the dance form which contains twelve to twenty people who sing the stories from epics in daruvus to the accompaniment of chiratalu - two long wooden pieces, designed in an oval shape at the ends and two round tin plates at each end to give a tinkling sound. The wooden chiratas are held in the right hand. By strking one against the other, the chiratalu supply (called 'Chekkas' in Coastal Andhra) the necessary beat for the dance In addition, the dances arealso accompanied by a harmonium movements. and a dolu.
The dancers, usually in a white dhoti tightened at the ankles and with bells tied on the dhoti at the ankles, do a circular dance. This popular dance form has several variations - chekka bhajana, chitikala bhajana, chiratala bhajana, etc., the names denoting the percussion instruments handled by the dancers. This serves as pastim.e to several village youngsters who perform this dance during festive occasions - especially during Ram Navami days.
Chiratala Ramayanam is an extension of Chiratala Bhajana, both in terms of form and technique. The Bhajana form is a circular dance which dances to a rhythmic song sung by the performers themselves. The Ramayanam is transformed into a dramatic form while retaining several characteristics of dance.
The most prominent elements of dance that we find in this form can be enumerated thus:
1. The original circular dance movements are retained throughout the performance. This circularity is known as 'gundam'.
2. All the participants continuously indulge in dance steps. As simple steps are needed to allow the dramatic action to take place, only ata tala daruvus are used.
3. The dancers constantly beat their chiratalu as in Bhajana.
4. When the song (daruvu) is over, there is a panygeric for Lord Rama (Ramachandra Maharaju ki Jai) which denotes the end of a song. This is retained though this disrupts the tempo of the play.
5. Each song ends with a muktayi - end rhythm - denoting the closure of the song, followed by dance in a fast tempo. This is typical of the Bhajana dance.
6. The leader of the performance who is the jester and is known as Buddari Khan holds a whistle with him and uses it for any change in gati and prasthara.
But as this is moulded into a dramatic form, it has acquired some dramatic qualities also:
1. In spite of the constant circular movement of the performers, whenever an episode demands, the actors from the group get onto a stage a raised platform usually higher than the area used for dance (gundam).
2. When once the characters get on to the stage they get into role-playing. Minimum hand props are made available to them. They participate in the dance with their costumes on and go on to the stage at the command of the leader.
3. The acting out of the dramatic episode is similar to that seen in a Veedhi Natakam performance. It contains a pravesa daruvu (the entry song sung by the character itself introducing himself or herself), samvada daruvu (the dialogue song), samvadam in vachanam (prose).
4. Full costume, make-up and role playing as seen in a Veedhi Natakam makes it a dramatic performance. When once the episode ends the characters come down the stage and join the remaining performers in the circle.
That means, that at any given time, except during the invocation, there are two stages operative simultaneously: the floor level area where the circular dance moves on in a clock-wise fashion with chirutalu in the actors right hands. The forming of this circular movement is called "gundam kattadam" (the building up of a 'gundam'). These dancers also participate in the chorus, singing the pallavi of the. character's dialogue song. If there are two characters - say Hiranya Kasipa and Prahlada, the group sings in chorus the songs of both the characters.
There is another, higher stage at the centre of the circle, usually a make- shift one with a raised platform, where the episodes are acted out. This may be called the 'dramatic' stage or the "acting area" in contrast with the earlier one which is a dancing area.
Whenever there is a particular scene to be enacted, the characters that would appear in that scene, already in their costumes, would leave the dancing area and "climb" up the "acting area" and act out the scene.
While many props are mimed, there will be essential hand props like a sword, a mace, or a spear. These may either be in the hands of the actors throughout - i.e. even when they are dancing along with the other actors in the dancing area-or may be placed near the raised platform so that the actors can pick them up while going on to the stage. In the latter case, it may be said that their taking up the hand prop defines their character and designates their role in the performance.
Thus the shifting of positions of the chorus - i.e. the dancers - and the characters continuously lend the performance the fluidity of the epic story without any tangible break. The chorus serves the purpose of narrating the story. Occasionally the threads are connected by the Sutradhar - comedian, by giving the "sandhi-vacana". The Sutradhar holds a whistle, as in Chiratala Bhajana, for conducting the dance both in the mandra and tara stMyis and also for shifting the narrative to the dramatic. The mode of whistling indicates the change.
The role of the jester - Budderi Khan - draw from the Veedhi Natakam performances - is multi-dimensional. As a Sutradhar, he is responsible for the play's continuity. He is also responsible for connecting the 'singing' parts with the prose narration (which is minimal). He also conducts the dance score. He also keeps the scenes lively by getting into conversation with the characters on the stage and provides comic relief.
The form was an off-shoot of the Chiratala Bhajana, sung and danced in a saptaham (seven days of celebration) during Ram Navami festival. On the final day, some episodes of the Chiratala Bhajana used to be performed as a dramatic presentation. Hence the name Chiratala Ramanayam. In course of time, it was evolved into a full-fledged theatre form without the need for preceeding it with Chiratala Bhajana performances. In its developed stage even Bhagavatha and Mahabharatha stories are drawn into its repertoire. Chervirala Bhagayya, the Telangana Yakshagana writer, wrote about 15 Chiratala plays. He named it "Chiratala Natyam" to include in it stories from Ramayana and Mahabharatha. In course of time other stories - such as Balanagamma and Kamamma stories have been rendered into the 'Chiratala' form. Other writers like Venkatapathi and a score of anonymous writers contributed to its development in the early part of this century.

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